PEORIA — The heart of the annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure lies in its community. As when they are battling cancer, few participants tackle the race on their own.

Shirley Kellerstrass walked with a group of friends for 27 of the 29 races for the cure held in Peoria. This year — 34 years after Kellerstrass defeated her breast cancer — her only remaining companion was her good friend, Joan Ehman. The 85-year-old women spryly walked the 5-kilometer course without breaking a sweat as they cherished their ability to participate in the race one more year.

“We used to have about 10 or 15 of us walking,” Kellerstrass said. “Some of us are gone, some are unable now. We got old. I’m really blessed to be here and still be healthy.”

Thousands of people in white and pink shirts stuffed the Metro Centre, University Street and Northmoor Road on Saturday morning for the 29th annual Race for the Cure. Runners, walkers, onlookers and survivors winded through the course sporting visors and sunglasses to balance the immaculately sunny spring morning. In total, 10,000 people were expected to partake in the race, and none had weather concerns.

“This is one of the nicest days we’ve ever had,” Kellerstrass and Ehman said in unison. “We’ve been through some hellish weather before.”

Breaking the mold by wearing purple shirts, Team Stenson drew a large crowd near the finish line. Yvonne and Rudy Booth savored the sight of the 20-person group of children, grandchildren and extended family laughing and talking after walking the course. Yvonne lost her mother to breast cancer, and it was the first Race for the Cure since her older brother lost his battle to cancer in March.

“We do this to celebrate our family, and it’s a good time to get the family together, so we design our own shirts every year,” Yvonne Booth said.

“You have to hold back the tears (today). It’s just good for family to stay together and connected and to realize how short life is. It’s a time to put all the issues aside and be a real team.”

Thomas Bruch can be reached at 686-3188 or tbruch@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @ThomasBruch.